Sack-turning mechanism.



E. G. EDMONSON.

SACK TURNING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC.5, 1914. RENEWED JAN. 1, 1916.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

gwwauto'p ELLIS G EoMoNs UNITED STATES PIITENT OFF a ELLIS GRANT EDMONSON, or GREENFIELD, onIo, ASSIGNOR To THE AMERICAN ran & TEXTILEGOMPANY, or GBEENFIELI), OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SACK-TURNING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Befit known that I, ELLIS Gr. EDMONSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at ireenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sack-Turning Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 1

My invention relates to devices whereby sacks or bags may be turned inside out and the object of my invention is the provision of a mechanism of this character of great simplicity, easily operated, and thoroughly effective in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will engage the bottom or inverted end of a bag so as to perinit the open lower end of the inverted bag to be drawn-upward, thus turning the bag inside out.

A further object is to provide means whereby the bag engaging members may be readily contracted so as to invert a bag upon them and when released that they shall automatically engage the upper bottom end ofthe inverted bag.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is an elevation of my bag turning mechanism partlybroken away; Fig. 2

is a'fragmentary plan view of the table.

upon which the device is mounted; Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of thebar applied to the arms for the purpose of holding bags of relatively great width.

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates a table, platform or other operative base, this table'being supported by the legs 3. Mounted upon the table orabase is a base plate 4: of any suitable construction, and mounted upon this base plate are the upwardly extending spaced'bag engaging standards 5. These standards are illustrated as being angularly turned at their lower ends as at 6 and rigidly fastened to the base plate. The standards have a certaindegree of resiliency so that, the upper ends of the standards may be moved closer together or farther apart as desired to ad-v just the device to different sizes of bags. For the purpose of limiting the outward Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented F b 22 1916 Application filed December 5, 1914, Serial No. 875,673.

Renewed January 7 1916. Serial No. 70,886.

movement of v the standards, I provide a turn buckle 7, one end of which has swiveled engagement with a pin or like member 8, while the other end has screw threaded engagement with a screw threaded pin 9. The pin 8 projects from one of the standards 5, and the pin 9 from the other. It will thus be obvious that by rotating theturn buckle, v

the standards may be drawn closer together and that the turn buckle permits the stand ards to be freely shifted closer together but limits the outward movement of the standards.

For the purpose of forcing the bag supports outward, I provide a compression spring lO. which is disposed between the standards and which is supportedby means of the inwardly directed pins 11. This compression spring forces the standards outward or apart from each other at their upper ends.

For the purpose of providing means whereby the standards may be manually shifted toward each other inorder to permit of the insertion ofa bag over the upper ends of the bag, supporting standards, I

provide the cables 12. Each of these cables at its lower end is attached to an actuating lever 13. The cables pass upwardly fro-m the actuating lever in divergent relation parallel to the standardsand at their upper ends pass over pulleysll. The cables are thenicrossed and connected each to a pin 16" or like device projecting from one of the standards. A lever 13 is pivoted at one end upon one of the legs 3, and at its other end passes through a guide formed by a plate 17, the inner edge of which is toothed as at 18 to engage the lever, the lever being provided with a handle whereby it may be actuated. It will be obvious how that when the lever is depressed, the upper ends of the bag supporting standards will be drawn toward each other, and that when the lever is released, the upper ends of the bag supporting standards will be forced away from each other by means o-fthe spring 10. The upper end of each standard is formed with a bulbous portion 19 and a relatively small tip 20. here sacks or bags of very large.

width are to be turned, I use an auxiliary sacksupporting bar designated 21 whose sack, thisbar being provided with openings or sockets 23 for the reception of the tips 20 on the arms or standards 5.

One manner of operatingmy device, is as follows :In turning, a sack, the operator takes hold of the sack at the mouth with the thumb and forefinger of each hand. He then places the sack with its closed end on the standards and pulls downward on the sack. As the mouth of the sack is pulled downwardly, the closed end of the sack is moved relatively through'the open end of the sack; The sack is then turned. inside out and may be withdrawn from the standards. By operating the handle 13, the standards may be adjusted for dilierent widths of sacks. By adjusting this-handle, the upper ends of the standards may be drawncloser together or allowed to separate to a greater extent for this purpose. The bulbs 19 on the upper ends of the standards prevent theseams on the sack from ripping or tearing. The handle 13 may be'used to adjust the standards from four to eighteen inches from each other. For a greater width of sack the bar 21 is intendedto be used. The turn buckle 7 is to be used when the bar 21. is disposed upon the standards. The rotation of the turn buckle 7 in one direction shifts the standards so that they are wider apart at the top. This is necessary where the spring 10 is not sufiiciently expansive to secure this eflect.

Another method of operating my inven: tion may be used. In this, assuming that the arms or standards 5 have been adjusted by means of the turn buckle so as to limit the extent of their maximum separation, then upon a depression of the lever 13, the arms or standards willbe drawn toward each other and the bag is inverted over these arms or standards and drawn downward until the bottom'of the bag is engaged by the tips 20 and thebulbous portions 19. The lever 13 is'then released whereupon the spring 10 will force the arms outward and this will act 'tosprea-d the bottom of the bag, which is at the top/in this case of course, and clamp the bag tightly at its bottomwall. The depending free edge of the bag is then grasped.

by the hands of the operator and drawn upward and thus the bag is turned inside out. This operation may be very quickly accomplished and the device is particularly of value where relatively big-bags are to be turned. hen the size of the sacks or bags being turned changes, the turn buckle 7 is adjusted so as to limitthe extent of the greatest separation of the bag engaging members, and the same operation is performed. lVhere bags of great width are to be t1'rrned, then the bar 21 is used.

This'device is adapted to be used in turning salt sacks, cotton flour sacks, sacks hold- 7 mggram, baggings, and sweat pad casings,

lel sack engagingmembers mounted upon.

the base, the outer ends of said memberszbe ing movable toward each'other, urging the outer from each other, manually operable means for drawing the outer ends of said members toward each other, whereby to adjust the distance between the outer ends of said sack engaging members, and means for adjustably limiting the outward movement of the sack engaging members. 7

2.111 a sack turning mechanism, a base, upwardly extending diverging sack .engag-j' ing members, a spring urging said members apart, a lever mounted below the base,cables extending upward from. the lever, pulleysmounted on the members and. from. which said cables pass, said cables beingcrossed after passing over the pulleys and being at-:. tached to the respective'members,and a turn a spring ends of the members away toward each other.

3. In a sack turning mechanism, apair of sack holding members supported. at one end and the free ends of each being movabletoward each other, bcrs apart, manually operable means for drawing said members toward each other, and asack engaging bar removablymounted on the extremities of said members and having ends adapted toengage the bottom ofa. sack. V v

4. In a sack turningmechanism, upwardly extending sack engaging members, over which a sack is adapted to be inverted, and i manually controllable means for adjusting: the distance between the upper ends" of said i sacklengaging members, said. means includ ing an adjustable,-manually operable lever and means for holdingthe lever'ina plural ityofsadjusted positions.

5. In a sack turning machine, a base,- out; wardly extending sack engaging a spring urging the outer ends of said members apart, a lever mounted below the base, cables extending from the lever and .ope'rae tively connected to the members to cause I a table forming a supporting {base and springs forcing said mem'.

members,

the members to move toward each other upon I provided i with an opening in its top, upwardly extending divergent yieldingly supported sack engaging members mounted upon the top of the table, a spring urging the outer ends of said members apart, a lever mounted below the table, operative connections between the said lever and said sack engaging members passing through the opening of the top whereby to cause the members to move toward each other upon a predetermined movement of the lever, and means for holding the lever in adjusted positions.

'7. In a sack turning machine, a table forming a base, the top of the table having an opening, oppositely disposed upwardly extending divergent sack engaging members lever operatively connected to the cables, and a spring urging the upper ends of said members apart.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ELLIS GRANT EDMONSON.

Witnesses:

COKE L. Dos'rnR, ETHEL O. PRIDDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

